Clutch slave cylinder?

corycorycory · Jun 3, 2009

I recently bought a '99 Ranger about 3 months ago to go to work and back...

Anyways, the past couple of days the clutch pedal began to act weird. It would go almost all the way to the floor and I would have about an inch or two of clutch manipulation right at the floorboard. I topped off the master cylinder reservoir and did a little research and found how to bleed the line to fix the problem from this link: http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/bleedclutch.htm

Ok, bleed the line and it only got worse. Now when I open the bleed valve nothing comes out. Nothing comes out when the clutch is pumped either. I have the reservoir topped off and nothing is making it to the bleed valve. From my understanding from using the "How to bleed a hydraulic clutch" my master slave cylinder is out.

Any thoughts or ideas on what else could possibly be the problem before I haul it to the shop and get charged tons of money?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Fx4wannabe01 · Jun 3, 2009

Slave or Master cyls.

If you are mechanically inclined, you can do the swap in a days time for the cost of parts. I'd vote it's the slave cyl. You need to drop the trans to gain access to it. While in there, you should really replace the clutch as well. You'll be into it like $300 for parts. I did my first swap using a Chiltons or Haynes manual.

corycorycory · Jun 3, 2009

Slave cylinder

Yes, I am a mechanically inclined person... I've never done any tranny work though. I'll look into it though,

The guy I bought it from said that he replaced the clutch last year. What I don't understand is why he didn't replace the slave cylinder while he was in there.

Thanks for the info.

86ford · Jun 3, 2009

For the sake of being cheap/lazy swap the master cylinder first to see if its the problem. If you get lucky and it is the master cylinder you can be done in a few hrs (skills dependent). Your only out 40-80 dollars if it was the master and you saved the pains of pulling the transmission. If your wrong, get to pulling the trans! A typical clutch job in my area is 400-600 dollars. If you are local for one of the members you mite be able to get a hand so post up were you live!

86

corycorycory · Jun 4, 2009

I think I may just try that. I guess since it is just the slave cylinder I would only have to unbolt the bell housing and pull it out and pop the new one in?

Like I said before, I am good with mechanics, mostly dealing with the basics and nothing internal so far. I've never replaced a clutch or done anything tranny related besides installing a few short throw shifters...

As of now I am stationed at Pt. Mugu, Ca Naval Base. (That's where my truck is.) However I live out in town in Ventura, Ca.

The nice thing about the military is that I can bring my truck to our hobby shop and put it up on a lift for about 5 bucks and work with their tools.

-Thanks

corycorycory · Jun 4, 2009

corycorycory said:
I think I may just try that. I guess since it is just the slave cylinder I would only have to unbolt the bell housing and pull it out and pop the new one in?

Like I said before, I am good with mechanics, mostly dealing with the basics and nothing internal so far. I've never replaced a clutch or done anything tranny related besides installing a few short throw shifters...

As of now I am stationed at Pt. Mugu, Ca Naval Base. (That's where my truck is.) However I live out in town in Ventura, Ca.

The nice thing about the military is that I can bring my truck to our hobby shop and put it up on a lift for about 5 bucks and work with their tools.

-Thanks

By the way... Would anyone happen to have any good gouge on how to go about doing this; i.e. diagram, web link, etc.? Or even someone to be gracious enough with their time and knowledge and give me a simple step by step set of instructions to go by. It would be greatly appreciated and give me that extra assurance when I begin backing out bolts and what not.

Oh yea, 86ford, I did call a shop to get an idea and they quoted me at 385 in labor alone. The slave cylinder at Autozone.com was 56-86.

-Cory

tbirdsps · Jun 4, 2009

Cory, With the clutch pedal acting the way it does and no fluid at the bleed port I think it would be more likely that the clutch master cylinder has failed. However, if you are to also change the slave cylinder the tranny has to come out. If it's the Mazda tranny the tranny and bell housing are one.

corycorycory · Jun 4, 2009

Well, that seems to be a little bit better news. The clutch master cylinder should be a bit easier to replace/fix... right?

86ford · Jun 4, 2009

corycorycory said:
Well, that seems to be a little bit better news. The clutch master cylinder should be a bit easier to replace/fix... right?

As I said before, its a few hrs for a person who has NEVER done a master cylinder. Its very easy for someone who has done a few. The master cylinder gets bolted to the firewall directly below the brake booster (were you fill the brake fluid up at). If you look at the rod that connects to your clutch pedal under your dash you will see a black (usually) thing the rod goes into. This black part is the master cylinder. the rod is connected to the pedal with a e-clip that can be popped off with a screw driver and a little work. the master is secured with 2 or 3 bolts directly below the brake booster. The line is held in by a roll pin that requires a punch to remove or similar tool. once the line is removed you un-bolt it from the firewall and pull it out. Follow the steps in the instruction book that come with the master cylinder after that.

86

corycorycory · Jun 5, 2009

I don't belive it is the master cylinder at all. There is no fluid leaking in the floor board or anywhere around the master cylinder.

As for the slave cylinder it is clean too; no fluid in sight.

I gave it another try today... opened the bleed valve and then pumped the clucth pedal and it just sputters and spits out a little bit of fluid. Not getting close to a solid stream what so ever.

I may just bring it into a shop and have a free assesment done and go from there.

Clutch slave cylinder?

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